I042 Rural School Leaflet 



of the room of the same temperature. It is far better than the stove that 

 is sometimes found in schools, which overheats those near it and leaves 

 the far corners of the room cold. Many rural schools have this new kind 

 of stove that has a metal jacket around it. Fresh air comes in from 

 out of doors through an opening in the bottom of the jacket. The air 

 is heated as it rises between the jacket and the stove, and when it leaves 

 the top of the jacket the heated air spreads to all parts of the room. Since 

 fresh air is always coming in, the bad air needs to be taken out; an open- 

 ing is made for this purpose in the chimney flue below the place where the 

 stovepipe enters it. There is not space in this letter to tell you all about 

 these stoves even if you could understand the explanation, but I want 

 you to know of them so that you can talk the matter over ^vith the 

 teacher and your parents and perhaps next year your school will have 

 such a stove, if there is not one in it at present. The district super- 

 intendent will have something to say about this, if you ask him the next 

 time he visits the school. 



There is great danger these winter days that the schoolroom will be 

 overheated. The air often gets impure when so many are breathing it in 

 a closed room. Perhaps you will say that the teacher should take care of 

 these things ; but if you will think a minute, I am sure you will see that you 

 should know about them too so that you will be able to help intelligently. 

 I was in a schoolroom not long ago where my head ached before I had been 

 there ten minutes, and I wondered how the boys and girls and the teacher 

 could stand it. Every recess time the schoolroom shoiild be aired for a few 

 minutes while you are playing out of doors, and, even though it is a little 

 cool when you come in, it will soon be comfortable again. You know we 

 do not take cold easily just by being cold ; but when we get too warm and 

 then cool off suddenly, or when the air is not fresh and pure, we are certain 

 to catch cold. The best temperature is one that is just high enough to 

 keep our feet and hands warm and that lea.ves our minds clear and active. 

 A temperature 66° F. to 68° F. is about right. Every school should have 

 a thermometer or two, and with a little practice it will be easy to keep the 

 temperature right and the air pure. 



You will wonder why I am telling you these things and what they have 

 to do with nature study and agriculture. It is because they are so very 

 important and must be right before we can study nature, reading, history, 

 or anything else. First of all, we must take care of ourselves and build 

 strong, clean, well bodies. Then our minds will be strong also, and will 

 be able to do more easily the work that comes to us each day. I like to 

 see boys and girls with rosy cheeks that show the good red blood in their 

 veins, boys and girls who can stand steady on two feet and hold their 

 bodies straight, who can look me in the eye and shake hands in a firm, 

 true way that makes me feel their friendship. I expect these things in 



